Who needs Spiderman anyway?
by Alexandra Zeola
Summary: Dorothy Hunter is not your usual 17 year old , she's got a mind of her own and an attitude to match. Not to mention she's one of the only girls in New York not in love with the city's golden hero Spiderman. However when her mom is kidnapped by a new villain Dottie has no choice but to call Spidey for help. Will they work together or is this all going to end in a broken web?
1. Dorothy Hunter

**Hey all , **

**This is my second fanfic and I am so enjoying writing it. I have been a huge Spiderman fan for years and have religiously watched all the films and even some of the cartoons thanks to my little brother who is also addicted to superheroes hehe**

**I just want to say that this story doesn't follow any of the comics or the films except for it being after Peter has changed into Spidey. **

**Instead it is kinda like a what if plot line with a brand new villain and perhaps a new love interest for our favourite red and blue hero. **

**I have never read or written comic book fanfiction before and hope you all enjoy my attempt. Please comment and follow as I love hearing what my readers think. **

**Anyway on to the story, and if anyone wants to know info on location or actor choices for the characters please don't hesitate to ask. **

**Alexandra xxx**

* * *

**Chapter one, **

"Dottie get up or you'll miss the bus!" my mom's voice hits me like a bucket of ice and I bolt up in bed , my sleep filled eyes clamped closed as I search my bedside table for my glasses , my long blonde hair falling over my shoulders in a mess of knots and tangles.

"I'm up I'm up , stop yelling already" I mumble in response , finally finding my glasses I place the thick black rims over my eyes and stretch out my unused limbs before clambering out of my comfy bed and hopping over to the wardrobe due to my right foot suffering from sleep induced pins and needles.

"Dorothy Maria Hunter , did you just take a tone with me?" glancing over my shoulder I spot my very petite mother standing in my bedroom doorway , her thin arms crossed over her chest while her crystal blue eyes stare at me accusingly. I roll my eyes at her and wave her away; focusing my attention instead on my very bare wardrobe in the hopes I'll find something suitable for school.

"Really?" I say with a raised eyebrow and the smile I've perfected just for these moments where my mom tries to change our very friend like mother daughter relationship to one like other families.

But then thing is we aren't a normal family , my mom had me young , sixteen to be exact , and since her parents saw it improper for a young girl to have a child they disowned her , meaning I was born to a single sixteen year old girl who saw her baby as a toy not a responsibility. I don't really remember the first few years of my life, but I do know that we moved all around the United States before my mom was able to secure a job at Kit's Café, a small deli style café run by Catherine Carter, otherwise known as Kit to everyone in the neighbourhood. Kit offered my mom day-care for me in exchange for my mom working overtime hours for free whenever Kit called on her , a small price to pay for a woman who was struggling to put food on her daughters plate. My mom obviously took Kit's offer and started working as a waitress/barmaid full time whilst taking care of me part time, during the day I stayed with Kit's mother Narla and at night my mother would collect me from the elderly woman and take me to the motel down the road which had become a home of sorts for us.

It wasn't until I was 5 that my mom saved enough to buy our small one bedroom apartment and really start making a home for me and her. I still remember the cot like bed I had made up for myself in the front room while my mum took the small bedroom at the end of the apartment, I use to long for a bedroom of my own and whenever my mother worked late at Kit's and Narla came to babysit me I'd sneak into my mom's room and sleep in her double bed, pretending it was my bedroom.

8 years later however my mom's parents both passed away and as an apology for never meeting their granddaughter they left my mother enough money to buy a simple but cosy two bed apartment in Brooklyn and start up a college fund for me. The rest of the money went on making up for the things I'd missed out on as a child, shopping trips to the mall, trips to the movie theatre with my friends, dinner dates with guys I had a crush on, finally I was able to be a teenager and my mom and I's relationship went from a young mom and her daughter too two females trying to find their way in Brooklyn New York.

"What too much?" I laughed softly as I nodded at my mom, watching her tie her long blonde hair, which is almost identical to mine, up into a messy ponytail and smooth down her plain white t-shirt with Ken's written on her the left breast, the current diner of choice for my waitress mother. "Okay I get it no more strict mother attempts, but you do need to get ready, Jamie asked for you to pop round before you left" she said while wandering over to my ancient jewellery box and browsing its limited contents, most of which had once belonged to her but had been given to me as presents when she had no money, something some people would hate but I loved as it made the present so much more personal.

"Uhh why?" I shuddered at the thought of entering our creepy neighbour's apartment, a place I'd been only once and wished never ever to enter again. Jamie, or James as I'd recently found out was his full name, lives two apartments below mine and my mother's place. It's a lot smaller than our two bed, which also has an average size kitchen, a toilet and bathroom and a large open planed lounge and dining area. Jamie's place however is a one bed slum with a box kitchen, his lounge space however is double the size of ours which I guess is good when you live alone but I'd prefer a huge bedroom over a huge lounge.

"I don't know sweetie but whatever it is I'd said you'd go , and don't look so disgusted its rude" my mother may have had a hard life being a single mom at sixteen but she always tried to be polite , thinking that politeness made you less likely to be kidnapped or raped . I have never agreed with this thought process of hers and instead block of all emotions when dealing with others, it's only when I'm with my mom or my friends that I let my hard shell disappear a little.

"Mom come on the man's a creep, not to mention he sticks!" I shudder inwardly as I remember the stench of alcohol mixed with sweat that just seems to pour off him every time I pass him in the corridor or stairway on my way to and from our apartment , which seems to be every time as the man seems to always be in the building , no matter what time whether it be morning , afternoon or even midnight he was always in his apartment , perhaps even waiting for her to pass by his door so he could open it and greet her with a toothy grin and that rancid stench.

"Okay so he has a certain hygiene issue but he is still a human being a therefore deserves to be treated respectively , after all he is so kind to us" I once again rolled my eyes at my too nice for her own good mother whilst taking out a simple pink skirt and white top and throwing them onto my bed , turning my attention to my very small shoe rack which consisted of a pair of fake Ugg boots , white converse which I'd had since I was 10 and white flip flops , I went with the flip flops.

"Mom the guy is a perv, that's not kindness that's creepiness" I responded whilst shaking out my tatty hair and pulling it up into a high ponytail with a rubber band I stole from science class yesterday.

"Where did you get this harsh outlook on people from, it's so negative" I smiled softly at my mother's concern and went over to hug her, pulling her small frame into my arms. There's a undying kindness to my mother which just makes her seem fragile 24/7, it's a quality that can't be forced or fake and when someone has it in them it just sticks for life, making them an open target to people who wish to hurt and manipulate. Which is why I strive to be the opposite of my mother , after years of watching her fight away the demons in order to protect me it's my turn now to protect her and I do that by making sure she knows I can look after myself.

"it's not negative mom its practical and logical, this world isn't kind and people aren't polite, there's crime and pain around every corner and I can't burry my head in the sand like you" I say, watching her eyes cloud over with hurt, sending a stab of pain to my chest because if there is one thing I hate more than people hurting my mother and me it's when I hurt her myself. But then this is how I feel, this is what I know to be right and I can't lie to her just because it's what she wants me to say.

"Dorothy love one day you will see the good in this world and when that happens I want you to embrace it , even though it might scare you at first and yes it may make you vulnerable , but it's worth the risk to feel what happiness can bring you" I shake my head softly but she catches my chin and stops me , her crystal blue eyes which I have inherited shine at me with unshed tears and I feel my heart beat practically stop for a second as I stare back at her "don't deny that your unhappy my darling because I hear you a night , you cry yourself to sleep but never know why , you wake up frowning even though you dreamt of happy things , well my sweet you are dreaming of a world that does exist just you refuse to accept it , let yourself be happy please" I gulp loudly and move away , grabbing my satchel which is full of books and pens for my days classes and practically sprint out our apartment , taking the steps two at a time. I'm just about to open the door to our apartment building and leg it onto the street when Jamie's apartment door opens with a bang and the stench of him fills the corridor, making me stop dead in my tracks as I try to hold in my gagging.

"Doll face!" I shudder at his stupid nickname for me and turn to face him. Jamie probably once was a good looking man, going by his strong facial features and still thick dark hair, but that is all that remains good about his appearance, his stomach is huge and strains against almost every pair of pants he wears, his skin is practically yellow and rashes of red cover his arms and neck, then there's the huge heart tattoo on his right arm which he constantly shows off. Today he's sporting a particularly disgusting off white vest which ends just below his belly button and black joggers which are splattered with small cigarette burn holes. In his right hand is his trademark beer bottle but today he's missing his small cigarette which usually lives in his left hand and instead is holding this morning's paper , the headline screaming out at its readers in huge black bold print "did you see today's headline? Should be good to have a hero amongst our neighbourhood hey?" he holds up the paper and I read the black bold print **SPIDERMAN SPOTTED IN BROOKLYN.**

"No. The world doesn't need a hero and especially not one like him" I reply before grabbing the paper out of Jamie's hands and storming out into the street , cursing under my breath as the heavens open above me , making my white shirt go see through and my uggs rub painfully against my now wet feet.

Looking down at the now soggy paper I throw it to the ground and shake my head "Brooklyn doesn't need a hero, especially not one who has the powers of something I squash to death at least three times a week" and with that I step on the paper a few times before turning down the street and running to my school bus stop.


	2. Something's wrong in Brooklyn

I reach the bus stop just as the big yellow school bus pulls up and quickly leap up the stairs and take a seat, taking out my phone I send a quick text to my best friend Hannah Marley before grabbing my headphones and closing my eyes as Chris Martin sings Paradise to me.

"Dorothy?" my eyes snap open at the sound of my full name, something I hate hearing which is why I tell people to call me Dottie instead, turning my head I spot Jason Frankston, who if this school was a movie he would play the all American jock perfectly, he's leering over me with a somewhat dazed look in his eyes. He's a tall guy for someone who's only just turned 18 , probably 6'1 maybe 6'2 , meaning he fits the role of quarterback perfectly , not to mention his golden blonde hair and sea green eyes. He's kinda the school heart throb except it's only his looks and his parents money which get him attention, his intelligence is limited and his personality foul. What girls see in that I'll never know? I've always preferred the smart geeky kinda guy.

"Yes Jason?" I smile sweetly, using my most girly fake voice whilst fluttering my eyelashes. Jason however is no longer smiling; instead his full lips are turned down in a frown and his eyes are angry slits on his bronzed face.

"How many times Hunter! Don't call me that" I giggle cutely and flick a lock of my long blonde hair off my shoulder, looking over my glasses at him.

"Oh yes I forgot you prefer to be called Jay don't you, how silly of me to forget and call you something you absolutely hate" my voice is thick with sarcasm and he sneers at me in annoyance. Well serves him right. Suddenly though he stops sneering and smiles, almost grinning with a new found glee.

"Well played Hunter, I underestimated you" I watch in horror as he sits beside me, drawing the attention of the entire bus. A high pinched gasp fills the small enclosed space and I look up to see who's just been collected from their stop. Sasha Carmichael aka head cheerleader and Jason's current eye candy girlfriend.

Like me she has long flowing blonde hair but that is where our similarities end. She is stick thin with legs that literally go on forever and a waist the size of a party ring biscuit. Then there's her cute button nose and cat like eyes which are heavily made up with mascara and eyeliner making them literally pop off her flawless face. As for her fashion she might as well be a Vogue model with the amount of labels her divorced parents spoil her with , today I can see the words Gucci and Prada written all over her , especially on the killer black heels she's paired with her skinny jeans and polka dot white top. I envy and despise her style, envy because I wish I could have those clothes just so I could sell them and buy a car and despise because it's so bloody attention seeking its painful to watch. She struts down the bus towards my seat and I hang my head, praying she'll carry on past to her own seat, right at the back of the bus with the rest of the attention seeking popular kids. My luck today however is just sucks Ville and she stops directly beside me and Jason, her heavily lip glossed lips curved in a disgusted frown.

"Jay? Care to explain why you're sitting next to DorkDot?" I roll my eyes at her pathetic nickname for me, it's so unoriginal but then with a brain like Sasha's I know she probably spent hours thinking it up and is terribly proud with herself, god she's annoying.

"Hello to you to Sasha" I say with a small awkward wave and getting a glare in return.

"Shut it DorkDot I'm talking to my boyfriend" she spits out and I hold my hands up in surrender before putting my earphones back in with a shrug. God kill a girl for a trying hey?

"Sash don't talk to Dorothy like that" I pull my earphones out and stare at my defender , pure shock rushing through me as I watch Jason stand up and glare down at his girlfriend. What the hell is all I can think as I watch Sasha's double take at what's just been said to her and most importantly who's said it.

"Baby…" she tries to coax him round, wrapping her long thin arms around his neck, but he does nothing, actually you could argue that he tenses before grabbing her arms and slightly pushing her away. The bus is silent, even the driver has stopped at a bus stop and it watching the exchange.

"Don't change the subject Sash, apologise to Dorothy" Says Jason with a small head nod in my direction, I have to fight myself to not correct him on my name.

"What? Why?" responds Sasha, the rest of the bus has started muttering under their breath now, I faintly catch someone say that Jay and Sasha are gunna break up over me, I shudder at the thought cus I know that will end up with me having Sasha and her pathetically perky cheer squad as my enemies for the rest of the year, a stress I could really do without.

"Because she deserves an apology, do it now or you can say goodbye to me taking you to the dance tonight, I'm sick and tired of you being such a bitch" Sasha's face pales at the mention of the dance, an event I am dreading but to her it probably means the world, mainly because it's a chance for her to flaunt her money and her power over the school. Jason crosses his arms over his football jersey and leans against the seat, watching for her next move. I risk a glance at Sasha and see her eyes are locked on me with pure venom practically pulsing through her, I will myself to keep aloof but there is a slight fear emerging inside me at how much I'm going to pay for this, after all she's been humiliated in front of the entire bus and to her it's all my fault. A strained silence falls across the students as we wait for Sasha to either give in or explode. Finally she shakes her shoulders and puts on her signature head cheerleader smile before leaning into me and taking a firm grip on my shoulder, her chocolate brown eyes smiling down at me wickedly.

"I'm sorry Dorothy, I promise never to call you DorkDot again" I nod and she leans back, her eyes still locked on mine telling me that she's lying.

"See was that so hard babe?" Jason smiles and grabs her small waist, pulling her in for a very passionate public kiss. I can't believe she's actually fooled an entire bus, are these people really so fickle that they believe she's gunna forget her hatred for me in just one bus trip? Looking around at the smiling students and the couple still engaged in their PDA. It's clear that some people really are that stupid. God help this generation when it comes to the real world and all the horrors it holds.

By the time we reach Jacobs High School Jason and Sasha are back to being the heads of the school, their hands clasped together as they walk down the bus first and step out onto the sidewalk, waiting for their separate entourages to depart the bus after them. I wait for the throng of cheerleaders and jocks to exit the bus before jumping out my seat and exiting as well. Sticking my earphones back in I put my head down and head for the entrance, making sure to check my phone for a text from Hannah telling me where we're meeting this morning, her reply is simple but sweet _Lockers, see you there sweetie _

Entering the large building which is Jacobs High School I turn left towards mine and Hannah's lockers, making sure to stay well out of the way as Sasha and Jay enter the building, causing most of the students in the hallways' to freeze and stare at the two most beautiful people in the school, making my journey to my locker at least three times harder. I reach my locker and open it with a hard tug; it's so broken now it literally needs to be hit with a hammer before it opens or closes. This school is falling apart if you ask me. I throw my books in my locker and check my schedule , seeing that I have English first then a break before history and social science after lunch , well at least I have easy lessons today.

"Heya chickadee" I've just closed my locker when Hannah arrives, all big hair and big smiles as per usual. Hannah Marley is by far the most beautiful girl in this school but because of her fashion sense she is completely un noticed, see most girls in this school wear what Sasha wears, minus the labels of course, myself and Hannah however find it a lot more practically and comfortable to wear plain skirts or jeans with flat shoes and plain tops. However in today's generation that makes us outcasts. But we're happy outcasts at least.

"How are you so cheery all the time?" I say with a smile, she just shrugs and opens her own locker, which is covered with newspaper cuttings of our famous hero Spiderman. The sight makes me cringe and I lean against my locker and look at my phone , texting my mum about the Jason and Sasha confrontation on the bus , my mum finds my school gossip more interesting than most sitcoms.

"Did you get your report done for Science?" asks Hannah and I turn my attention back to her and not my phone, obviously sending the text before though.

"What report?" I reply, racking my brains trying to place what she's on about. My best friend just shakes her head so her sensible blonde bob shakes slightly.

"Jeeze Dottie we have a new teacher and everything , he sent an email to our school accounts telling us to research an organ of our choice ready to present it to the class tomorrow" she says and I whack my head against my locker slightly in frustration.

"I haven't checked my emails for my school account in months! No one checks it for goodness sake" she grabs my head, stopping me from whacking it again, and pulls me down the corridor towards our English class.

"I think that's why he did it, I mean we are supposed to check it, I check mine every night" I send her a pointed stare but she ignores me.

"Uhh what am I gunna do Han? I can't create a good quality report in one night?" she nods her head softly and wraps her arm around my shoulder; I just push my glasses back up onto my face since they've slipped down during my head bashing moment.

"Look how's about you come over to mine tonight and we'll brainstorm all night? It might not be perfect but at  
least you'll have something to show Mr Heart" I nod in agreement and smile at her kindness. It's how it's always been with us, ever since we were in preschool, looking out for each other and helping in any way we can.

We reach room 611, otherwise known as our English class, and I wave Hannah in, motioning that I'll be in after I've called my mom about missing dinner tonight. I reach into my bag, grab my phone and dial.

"Dottie love you need to tell me more about this Jason boy, is he cute?" I smile at my mother's teenage attitude towards my love life. Leaning against a row of lockers I focus on my phone call.

"To some he is but to me he's just a jock, yes to body no to brains and all that" I giggle as my mother signs in annoyance.

"It's always the way my darling, well maybe the next guy hey?" she sounds so happy and hopeful that I can't help but laugh.

"Anyway Mom I was just calling to say I'm gunna head to Hannah's after school, there's a new science teacher and he's assigned this organs of the body assignment thing" I say with a sigh , watching Hannah as she reads through her report on Jane Austen due for today's class.

"Okay darling, shall I get Nicolas to pick you up from work on his way to ours?" I scowled at the mention of my mom's toy boy boyfriend, a guy I have despised since my mom introduced him to me three months ago. It's not that he's a bad guy or anything , quite the opposite actually , it's just I can't seem to work him out , he's 22 whereas my mom is 33 and even though she would definitely be considered a hot mom Nicolas Norway is gorgeous , too good looking to be interested in a woman with a teenage daughter I think.

"Umm when is he expecting to leave work?" I asked, my voice obviously giving away how unexcited I was by the idea as Hannah had now stopped looking at her assignment and was instead staring at me with a raised eyebrow. I waved her concern away and turned to face the hallway.

"Probably around eight maybe nine, I think he'll be on his bike so I can text him and tell him to pack you a helmet" I rolled my eyes at my mom's clearly excited tone, she loved the fact her hot younger boyfriend not only looked like a model but he also owned five different motorbikes, each of which Dottie had bashed into when returning home as Nicolas had the annoying habit of parking the dam things right outside their building's entrance.

"I guess that'll be okay, thanks mom" I replied with false cheer in my voice. Hannah had since ditched looking at her books and was now focusing all her attention on me, her lean arms folded across her chest with her beady blue eyes accessing my every facial expression. I hung up and shook my head telling her not to ask, thankfully my best friend knew me well enough to not push the subject anymore and just shrugged before wandering into our class room. Taking a deep breath I follow and take my seat next to her, taking my report on Jane Austen and the influence her upbringing had on her writing out, re reading the key points I'd made.

"Morning girls" I looked up from my report just as Miss Parker, our English professor, wandered into the classroom and started laying out her books ready for today's class. Her dark brown bobbed hair was dead straight around her neat cheekbones and her green eyes looked tired and sad for some strange reason, she was usually perky and happy when it came to lessons, English literature after all was her passion, a fact she'd told us numerous times over the semester.

"Morning Miss Parker" Hannah said cheerily, looking up from her compact mirror which she'd been using to check her lip gloss.

"Hannah how many times , no make-up in class please" Miss Parker shook her head in exasperation , something which was very out of character for our usually mild mannered teacher. Miss Parker was young, well young for a teacher, I'd say she was around my mom's age at least but my mom's still pretty young in terms of adult age. She was a small woman with pale skin and small facial features. Her eyes however were slightly angled giving her a sort of off shaped look. She was usually quiet and kind to us, understanding that we were teens and, to girls especially, make up and gossip were huge topics for us and took priority in our minds. Today however she seemed jumpy and almost scared, not to mention her skin looked oddly more red than usual, as if she'd been out in the sun to much or something, which could be the case but going by the last few months of being in her lessons it was clear Miss Parker preferred being inside a library than sunbathing outside.

"Miss Parker is everything okay?" I asked with concern, watching as she went to the large windows that ran across the side of our classroom and peering out them anxiously. She jumped at the sound of my voice and spun round scarily fast, almost knocking over our large globe in the process.

"What?" she almost shouted at me, making myself and Hannah jump in our seats slightly. Just then the rest of our class started to file into the room , filling the now awkward space with the sounds of teenage students , mummers of people trying to find their reports or if someone could lend them a pen filled my ears and I found myself hiding my head in my arms , hoping the noise would stop soon.

"Shut up class, shut up now!" shouted Miss Parker and I looked up to see the entire class freeze in shock, no one, not one single member of this entire class had ever heard our English teacher speak to us like that, usually she said something funny like 'come on everyone gossip isn't that interesting' or joked about talking being for lunch time. Never had she raised her voice in such an aggressive manner, something was definitely wrong. I could just feel it.

We watched as a class as our teacher composed herself after her shouting and sat at her small desk , her small hands shaking as she picked up her copy of Pride and Prejudice , turning to the section she had set us to study up on for today's class.

"Okay who can tell me what Mr Darcy means when he says "_you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on" _Dorothy what about you tell us?" she asked me and suddenly my brain went blank , even though I'd studied the chapter religiously since last week when we'd been assigned it. I looked to Hannah for help but she was still staring at Miss Parker in shock, much like the rest of our class. Damm it what was I supposed to do now? Think Dottie think!

"Ummm is he umm I think he's trying to umm well I…" I grabbed my copy and flicked to the needed page, re reading the entire section of which the quote had been taken but nothing came to my mind except that Miss Parker was turning red right in front of our eyes.

It sounds insane but it's true, my English teacher was burning up, her usually pale white skin was now covered in blood red patches where ever the skin was exposed to us, and thanks to her short sleeved top and beige pencil skirt we were able to see how both her arms were now completely red and almost blistering. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Well Miss Hunter? I haven't got all day you know , what is Mr Darcy saying in this quote?" she was stood up now , showing her legs to the class , making us gasp as we saw that those two were blistered and blood red in colour , her hands were still shaking as she rounded her desk and stood in front of us. The oddest thing however was that she was sweating! Almost in bucket loads and yet the windows were wide open and it was still raining meaning a cold air was filling the small classroom.

"Miss Parker are you okay?" asked Miles , a slightly nerdy kid with straight black hair who was sat three seats down from me peering at our teacher with scared concern.

"I'm fine Miles! Now shut up will you. Dorothy I asked you a simple question, what does Darcy mean when he says he's been bewitched?" Miles practically started crying but thankfully he composed himself and watched with the rest of the class as Miss Parker walked to my desk, sweat was pouring off her now and her skin was almost neon red, she looked like some cartoon devil woman just without the horns.

"Is it like he's been infected or something?" everyone's head snapped to the right and stared at Hannah who had just whispered this answer , my best friends eyes were trained on our mad teacher and I sent a silent plea that her answer would calm crazy Miss Parker.

"Yes!" screamed Miss Parker and the whole class took a breath of relief. Miss Parker turned on her heel and walked to her desk quickly, grabbing her copy she turned to face us "yes Mr Darcy has been infected by love causing him to change, can anyone tell me why this could be dangerous for Darcy?" she asked and I glanced at Hannah in confusion, to which she held up her hands in a I have no idea way.

"Cus being infected by something can kill you, like if you're infected by an illness or something" Miles said self-consciously, glancing around the class as if to get support from us, his eyes met mine and I sent him a friendly smile which seemed to give him some confidence. Miss Parker however just howled angrily and threw her book to the floor.

"No Miles no!" she shouted making Miles jump in his seat , grabbing his pen he furiously started writing , probably in the hope Miss Parker wouldn't call on him.

"Are you all really so stupid?" she was bright red now, her skin blistering hideously.

"Miss is you sure you're okay? Should one of us go get the nurse or something?" said Jake Hogan , one of the less intelligent members of our English class Jake preferred to sit at the back of the class and text his friends then pay attention to what was being taught, today however his full focus was on our teacher.

"I'm fine, actually I'm more than fine" she then stood up on her desk and looked out the window towards the parking lot, looking out as well I swear I could see a man in a blood red suit signalling to Miss Parker, almost as if he was controlling her. Shaking my head I tried to  
focus on him but he had disappeared. Was I seeing things now or something? What the hell!

Drawing my attention back to my insane teacher I watched as she grabbed her bag and took out a little pot , emptying the contents of little red pills into her hand and swallowing them instantly.

Just then Mr Jupiter burst into our room, Miles was close behind him and I suddenly realised he'd disappeared without any of us noticing, cleaver guy.

"Miss Parker what the hell do you think you're doing? Get down this instance!" bellowed our head teacher but Miss Parker just ignored him and took out another pot of pills and downed them just like she had before , steam now seemed to be flowing out of her skin while her hair seemed to be turning red as well , her blisters began oozing a blood like substance and some of the girls in our glass started gagging at the site , Hannah was one of them and I motioned for her to leave , she did with a nod and was legging it out the room within seconds.

"Okay enough of this, class dismissed! Everyone out now!" Mr Jupiter didn't have to tell us twice and within seconds the classroom was empty. Stopping at the doorway of the classroom I turned and watched Miss Parker scream out in agony as her blisters oozed more and more blood, her skin seemed to be burning as she screamed out. Then I saw something I will never ever be able to forget.

Miss Parker stopped dead, her entire body paralysed for a few seconds before crumbling to the floor in a heap. Mr Jupiter screamed out for medical assistance and I was pushed out the way by numerous members of faculty pushing through the door. Miss Harley, my French teacher, saw me shaking against the door and took me outside, constantly telling me to breath and that Miss Parker was going to be okay. Miss Harley is kind, like Miss Parker she's young and small, but not even her kind voice and reassuring words could make me forget what I'd just seen.

Something was wrong in Brooklyn and going by what I'd just witnessed it wasn't something that could be stopped with a medical team and a few police officers. Something tells me things are going to change around here and going by today's headline I think my worst nightmare is about to happen.


	3. Studying Science

My hot chocolate had long since gone cold by the time Hannah and I had calmed down enough to talk about what we'd just witnessed. We were sat in Hannah's plush bedroom, her on her king size bed and me on the large window seat which sat underneath her bay window. Mr Jupiter had issued a half day for all of Miss Parks class in the hopes it would stop us complaining to our parents and causing even more trouble for the school , guess that makes sense considering nothing makes a teenager happier than being sent home early from lessons and it not being due to them being in trouble.

However now that we'd had time to process what we'd actually seen in that lesson we had more questions than ever before and knowing the other members of my class the first person they'd probably go to is their parents , or worse a newspaper.

I stopped staring at the cold chocolate brown liquid in my cup and looked up at Hannah, watching her as she stared at her opened pink laptop.

"Han you okay?" I ask cautiously. She jumps a little and shakes her head as if she's been awoken from some sort of dazed state.

"No, I mean umm yes, wait no I uhh" she stammered nervously, her small hands were shaking as they rested against her laptop keypad. Getting up off the cushioned window seat I went over to my best friend and wrapped my arm around her, comforting her as she calmed down a bit more.

"I know your scared Han" I said softly, brushing her hair out of her face as she stared down at her hands.

"I'm terrified, I don't want to go back to school Dottie" I nodded in agreement and tightened my hold on her arm.

"It won't happen again Hannah, Miss Parker was just sick that's all but she'll be back to normal soon and she'll go back to being Jane Austen obsessed and throw us numerous pop quizzes on the Bronte Sisters. Just you wait it'll be fine I promise" I tried desperately to sooth her but suddenly she was crying and not the normal sniffle kind of tears that I was use too but full blown sobs which practically choked her.

"Things will never be the same Dottie, didn't you see her? She was neon red; I mean the woman was basically on fire! That's not just an odd case of fever Dottie that is just … unnatural" Hannah was shaking uncontrollably now , her small shoulders quivering as she pushes a strand of her wispy blonde hair behind her ear , finally her eyes met mine but there was a look of pure fear in those clear blue irises "she looked possessed Dottie"

"That's crazy talk Han" I said, shaking my head softly at her remark.

"Is it Dottie? Think about what she was asking us, about that Darcy quote" Hannah's eyes are bright with panic; wracking my brain I try to remember the quote.

"She asked what Mr Darcy meant about being bewitched" I say quietly , my head is full of so many thoughts , my eyes are sore from tears that want to be shed but I can't allow myself to fall apart like that , not when Hannah needs someone to be strong for her.

"Exactly, and remember when I said it was like he was infected, remember how she reacted Dottie! Maybe that's what's wrong with her, maybe she's been infected with something" getting up from the bed I started to pace , thinking over what Hannah was saying against the scene we'd witnessed earlier , then I remembered the man in the blood red suit , the man I swear I'd seen just before Miss Parker started downing pots of bright red pills. But hadn't I also seen him disappear just seconds later? Could I really trust myself to believe he'd ever been there or if he was just some weird fragment of my imagination?

"The man" the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and I clamped my hand over my lips quickly , shooting a look at my friend in the hopes she hadn't heard me . However my luck sucks and she was on her feet pointing at me with fear filled eyes.

"Man? What man?" she asked me quickly and I shook my head, not wanting to give her more ammo to fuel her weird infected teacher theory.

"Hannah stop this , please you'll drive yourself mad" I backed away from her , my calf's hitting the window seat hard making me lose my balance and fall against the cushioned seat with a painful thud.

"You saw someone didn't you! Tell me Dottie!" she was still walking towards me, her small body still shaking with the aftershock of everything we'd experienced. I realised then that there was no way of shaking her off this , not to mention the fact I longed to talk to someone about what I saw and who better than someone I'd shared every secret I'd had since I was 6 years old with. Taking a deep breath I sat up on the window seat and ran a hand through my now tatty blonde hair, closing my eyes quickly before looking up at my anxious looking best friend.

"I thought I saw a man in a blood red suit standing in the parking lot" I say calmly, watching Hannah's reaction intensely. She just stares at me for a few seconds , her body completely still as her mind processes what I've said , then she nods quickly and sits beside me , her eyes locking on mine confidently.

"Okay tell me everything" she reaches for a note pad and a pen and crosses her legs. I'd almost forgotten her obsession with journalism she was , Hannah had been writing for our High School newspaper since we'd started at Jacob's , not to mention the fact that both her parents worked for The New Yorker News , one of New York's most successful newspapers.

"There's not much to tell really, I noticed Miss Parker looking out to the parking lot so I looked too and there he was, just staring at her. Then she took the pills and when I looked back he was gone, I even question if he was even there or if my brain was just playing cruel games with me" leaning back against the pillows of the window seat I wait for Hannah to write everything I've said before looking back up at me with a understanding smile, although the anxious fear in her eyes is still present and I can just see a slight shake still present in her hand as she holds her pen.

"What did he look like Dottie?" thinking back I close my eyes and try to picture the man in the suit, trying to remember key details of his appearance.

"He was tall , maybe 6'2 or 6'1 , broad shoulders , dark hair , thick but styled beard oh and thick eyebrows , sorta like that supermodel" I said with a click of my fingers , Hannah was staring at me with interest , her pen moving furiously over the pad as she wrote , her hand stopped however while she spoke.

"What Cara Delevingne?" she asked inquiringly, I nodded in response and she quickly wrote down the supermodel's name against the words **Big **and **Eyebrows**.

"Okay so let's recap" I watched as my best friend stood up and paced her rather large pink bedroom , her hello kitty slippers hitting the floor over and over again as she paced in front of me "Miss Parker comes into lesson looking upset , perhaps even heartbroken?" she points at me as she asks this question and I shrug slightly.

"Okay so we can't say for sure if she was upset because of heartbreak so let's question mark that" she continues and I pretend to write a question mark in the air with my finger , resulting in an exasperated shake of the head from Hannah and I smile an apology.

"Moving on, Miss Parker gets all obsessed with a Darcy quote , a quote about being bewitched therefore giving the impression that she too may be bewitched by someone , or something" she asks me and once again all I can do is shrug in response making Hannah shake her head at me in annoyance , obviously wanting a more vocal partner in this discussion "honestly Dottie have you got nothing to add to this?" she asks and I roll my eyes at her before throwing one of her pink sparkly cushions at her with a giggle , she grabs it before it hits her in the face and throws it on the floor in a sulk.

"Han I can honestly say I have nothing to add because I think you're seriously overthinking this; after all I can't even be sure I saw a man in a suit. I was tired, not to mention my brain was focused on that science presentation bombshell you hit me with before class" I say and Hannah sinks to the floor and leans her head back against her bed, sighing deeply.

"Uhh I'd almost forgotten about that project, surly Dr Heart will understand after today?" she says to the ceiling. Getting off the window seat I jump over Hannah and land on her bouncy bed, grabbing her laptop I quickly bring up an internet search on the organs of the body.

"I'm going to start now" I say aloud, hearing Hannah moaning in annoyance at the edge of the bed, her head is resting back against the bed and her eyes meet mine.

"What now? Really, I thought we were discussing Miss Parker?" she gets up onto her knees and turns to face me, placing her elbows on the bed so she can lean comfortably.

"No you were discussing Miss Parker , I was shrugging my shoulders" I reply with a grin and getting an annoyed scowl in response , I stick my tongue out at her to lighten the mood and she giggles before standing up and playfully whacking me with the same sequined pillow I'd lobbed at her just moments ago.

"Fine boffin, I'm going to go grab my brothers laptop and research infections which cause fevers and burnt skin, have fun studying interesting organ's like the liver and bladder" she says with a giggle and I stick my tongue out at her again, preparing to lob another cushion but she is out of her bedroom and down the stairs towards her older brother Zach's bedroom in seconds, dam her for being so dam quick.

Turning my attention back to the computer I look over the picture of the human body, looking over the various organs' which are shown clearly by the drawing. Opening another tab I quickly sign into my school email account and go on the hunt for the presentation briefing email Hannah told me about, finding it finally I note down that it was sent almost two weeks ago, how I did not realise, I don't know!

The email is polite but to the point, very much written by someone who expects respect and commitment to both him and his lessons, I shudder to think what Dr Heart would do if he ever found out I was doing his presentation the night before its due date, probably have some sort of heart attack. The email reads;

_Dear students, _

_As of last week you're regular teacher of Science, a Mr Moody, has had to leave the school for personal reasons. As of next week then I will be taking over Mr Moody classes. I expect punctuality and organisation to be of a top priority to all students, if not I will personally be enforcing new disciplinary regimes for any student who fails to uphold the standards I see fit for students of this school and especially students whom I am teaching. _

_To launch off this new semester I require you all to do some research into one of the seventeen organs of the body and prepare a presentation of at least 10 minutes explaining the key functions of your chosen organ and its overall importance. _

_You will be graded on this presentation and expected to know enough about your chosen organ in order to answer questions from the class and myself. Once your presentation is over you will be expected to listen to other members of the classes presentations and give educated questions in response to the information they provide. _

_This is not a hard assignment but I will be expecting good thoroughly researched presentations with evidence shown of your home research given to me before you present , at least 200 hundred words should be given to me explaining what organ you are presenting and what information you will be explaining within the presentation. _

_I look forward to learning more about you as students as well as learning what you have been researching in regards to this assignment. _

_Dr Barkley Heart, PHD in Human Anatomy and Blood examination_

_Head of Science at Jacobs High School, Brooklyn, New York _

Re-reading the email I whistled in disbelief, just as Hannah re-entered her bedroom, now holding her brothers slim black mac book which was comically covered in various stickers of comic book characters, including my most hated hero Spiderman.

"What's the worried whistle for chick?" I watched as she wandered over to the window seat and plopped down on the cushions before flipping open the laptop and starting to type furiously. I leant up from the laptop I was using and stretched out.

"Have you read this guy's email? I mean who does this guy think he is? Creating new "disciplinary regimes" like we're some sort of Army crew he can order around "I said with thick sarcasm, indicating the quote by making quotation marks with my fingers. Hannah however just looked at me with a smirk, her clear blue eyes twinkling with humour.

"Jeeze Dot calm down will ya" she giggled and I shook my head in irritation.

"He seems like an arse Han" I said whilst re reading the email for a third time, narrowing my eyes at his signature at the end "I mean he calls himself Dr Heart, how do we even know if he's a real doctor, he could be lying" clicking off the email I turned to face Hannah, she was still smirking at me.

"Or he could be a real doctor and therefore have the right to call himself Dr Heart" she said condescendingly. I grabbed the laptop again and brought up a word document, ready to start my research into the human heart.

"Well then he should be in a hospital not in a state school teaching students about the organs of the body , I mean if I had a PHD I'd feel pretty dam disappointed in myself if I ended up working in a state school" Hannah giggled at my snarky tone before turning the laptop round to show me a picture , I gasped as I looked the tall man in the photo holding a cylinder of some white liquid in his right hand , he was dressed in a white lab coat with protective goggles over his bright brown eyes. He may have been wearing white this time but I recognised him instantly, it was him the man from the parking lot.

"Who's that?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly causing Hannah's cheery smile to change to one of concern.

"That's Dr Heart. Dottie what's wrong you look like you've seen a ghost" she said softly, leaning forward to grab hold of my hand in comfort.

"That's him Han , that's the man in the blood red suit" my voice cracked slightly as I stared at the photo , remembering the evil smile he'd had on his lips when I'd seen him in the parking lot , the way his eyes were trained on Miss Parker right before she overdosed on those little red pills. He'd looked so in control but so evil at the same time, like something out of a nightmare. Hannah turned the laptop round to face her; her face was as pale as a sheet as she read over the article on our new science teacher. A silence fell over her room as I waited for her to stop reading; finally she looked up and met my eyes.

"Well seems tomorrow is going to be more stressful then we were expecting Dottie" she said softly and all I could do was nod in response.


End file.
